Operation Trojan Horse

[treelover]

Because schools are publicly-funded, and this "faith school" justified the expense as a core activity for some pupils.
What's hilarious is that if Catholic schools could get away with funding visits to Vatican City at the "taxpayers' expense", they'd be on it like ferrets on a fieldmouse.

Allegedly 800 pounds was spent on tips!

 

[catinthehat]

 

[quiquaquo]

From the dusty recesses of my memory, I seem to recall that you have to have attained a certain degree of understanding of the Koran, and be able to recite it wholesale (in Arabic), in order to make the Hajj.

Not to the best of my knowledge. It's sufficient to be a Muslim and if coming from a non European country get an allocated place on that country's allocated Hajj quota. As for who is a Muslim or not that's dodgy ground as for some virtually no one is (takfiri).

So if you are British for example you could in theory pop down the mosque today get all pious and get converted and then book your Hajj or Umrah as you wish.

Super deluxe: http://hajjpackages2014.org.uk/package/group4/

 

[SpookyFrank]

"British values" ffs.

I remember when 'British values' included support for stuff like universal free healthcare and universal welfare provision.

Even discounting the racist overtones of this sort of nonsense, it's pretty galling to be lectured about values by a man who'd sell his own grandmother for a shiny penny and a stick of gum.

 

[DotCommunist]

I'm not sure gove is a shapps level spiv tbf, I think he swallows his own shit

 

[Dogsauce]

British Values PLC, now owned by a French company domiciled in a tax haven.

That'd be about right?

 

[Dr Jon]

I remember when 'British values' included support for stuff like universal free healthcare and universal welfare provision.

That was the deal given to people after the war, when most men had discipline, combat training - and weapons - to make them a threat to the ruling class.

 

[spanglechick]

Because schools are publicly-funded, and this "faith school" justified the expense as a core activity for some pupils.
What's hilarious is that if Catholic schools could get away with funding visits to Vatican City at the "taxpayers' expense", they'd be on it like ferrets on a fieldmouse.

As a point of educational order, you can't have a core activity for some pupils. Core means all the kids do it.


I hate publicly-funded religious schools: they're at the heart of what's wrong with academies and free schools (even though these schools aren't). What has been said about the goings on at these schools makes me want to close those schools tomorrow BUT, but-but-BUT... it's no worse really than goes on at some Jewish and Catholic schools, and they aren't being put into special measures - far from it. Gove fucking praised Catholic schools to the rafters in an article published today. Invited them to become academies *because* it would give them more freedom to do things their way, change the curriculum etc. Just like these Islamic schools have been doing.

This isn't about educational values, ffs - this is cheap islamaphobia.

 

[Balbi]

As a point of educational order, you can't have a core activity for some pupils. Core means all the kids do it.


I hate publicly-funded religious schools: they're at the heart of what's wrong with academies and free schools (even though these schools aren't). What has been said about the goings on at these schools makes me want to close those schools tomorrow BUT, but-but-BUT... it's no worse really than goes on at some Jewish and Catholic schools, and they aren't being put into special measures - far from it. Gove fucking praised Catholic schools to the rafters in an article published today. Invited them to become academies *because* it would give them more freedom to do things their way, change the curriculum etc. Just like these Islamic schools have been doing.

This isn't about educational values, ffs - this is cheap islamaphobia.

Bingo

 

[goldenecitrone]

This isn't about educational values, ffs - this is cheap islamaphobia.

Barely a week after UKIPs successes in whipping up anti foreigner feeling for their anti EU drive and suddenly the Tories are clamping down hard on wayward Muslim fanatics and flying the flag for British values everywhere. Coincidence?

 

[Dr Jon]

As I've said, we should use this opportunity to get superstitious bollocks out of schools, once and for all.

 

[Combustible]

I hate publicly-funded religious schools: they're at the heart of what's wrong with academies and free schools (even though these schools aren't). What has been said about the goings on at these schools makes me want to close those schools tomorrow BUT, but-but-BUT... it's no worse really than goes on at some Jewish and Catholic schools, and they aren't being put into special measures - far from it. Gove fucking praised Catholic schools to the rafters in an article published today. Invited them to become academies *because* it would give them more freedom to do things their way, change the curriculum etc. Just like these Islamic schools have been doing.

But are all the schools in this case designated as Islamic faith schools? Although I agree with you entirely about faith schools and Gove, it seems to be worse if a school was not designated as a faith school and that parents do not know that they may be subject to extra religious indoctrination when they send their children there.

 

[spanglechick]

Barely a week after UKIPs successes in whipping up anti foreigner feeling for their anti EU drive and suddenly the Tories are clamping down hard on wayward Muslim fanatics and flying the flag for British values everywhere. Coincidence?

welllllllllll, yes and no - because the roots of this, the planning involved in these mass ofsted raids etc, have been longer in the planning than the euro elections. But i'm guessing the tories knew what was likely to happen with ukip, and Gove has his eyes on the leadership.

 

[spanglechick]

But are all the schools in this case designated as Islamic faith schools? Although I agree with you entirely about faith schools and Gove, it seems to be worse if a school was not designated as a faith school and that parents do not know that they may be subject to extra religious indoctrination when they send their children there.

that, i don't know - Balbi ?

 

[Balbi]

Don't think so. They're just catering to the overwhelmingly Muslim population in their catchment.

 

[frogwoman]

Then there's peter vardy, Emmanuel college...(I think) all set up under Blair who was made keen on the whole faith school thing.

 

[Sweet FA]

So Governors have now got too much power but you can't let actual teachers run schools obviously. School leaders spend far too much time flailing around doing fucking performance management and endlessly preparing for fucking inspections (which will now be a permanent state for all schools regardless of how good you were last year or last month or last fucking week). If people honestly understood the havoc being wrought in our education system, they'd be horrified. Children don't learn in depth anymore; they rote learn 'features' of 'texts' or 'excerpts' from 'texts' in order to regurgitate them into their own written work which is always written in a 'genre' for an 'audience'. 'Reading for pleasure' is a 'target'. Writing for yourself doesn't even deserve inverted commas because it's not a 'target' or a 'next step'. Children disengaging from education? Schools churning out an illiterate generation? Well fuck me, I wonder fucking why.


eta Fuck this story pisses me off

 

[kavenism]

They're moving fast on this. Now similar allegations against a school in Bradford. One of the governors is former Respect.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27788434

Is there not something intuitively stupid in asking a governor of a school with a 95% Muslim intake whether they have an "Islamic agenda"? I know there's an issue about state schools having to provide a balanced curriculum regardless of the make up of their students but seriously. What's really shocked me in all this is the rhetoric around these schools in Birmingham which is treating them almost like lost territories that need to be retaken. No one gives a shit about all the Catholic and C of E schools the entrance to which sometimes requires parents to pretend to attend church for a while to get their sprogs in!

 

[Dogsauce]

That photo of Cameron in front of the Union flag under headlines about 'British Values' reminded me of one of the old Tyndall BNP election broadcasts. I suspect there is Crosby's hand in this posturing, Tories feeling safe playing the race card more openly now that UKIP has opened up this territory.

 

[butchersapron]

They're moving fast on this. Now similar allegations against a school in Bradford. One of the governors is former Respect.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27788434

Is there not something intuitively stupid in asking a governor of a school with a 95% Muslim intake whether they have an "Islamic agenda"? I know there's an issue about state schools having to provide a balanced curriculum regardless of the make up of their students but seriously. What's really shocked me in all this is the rhetoric around these schools in Birmingham which is treating them almost like lost territories that need to be retaken. No one gives a shit about all the Catholic and C of E schools the entrance to which sometimes requires parents to pretend to attend church for a while to get their sprogs in!

I had thought that teachers might and that they and their organisations might use this opp to speak out about faith schools in general instead of effectively making a defence of the brum schools and what has gone on there. The wrecking ball of liberalism in full play. Being played like a fiddle from all sides.

 

[ViolentPanda]

As a point of educational order, you can't have a core activity for some pupils. Core means all the kids do it.

I stand corrected! Thanks.

I hate publicly-funded religious schools: they're at the heart of what's wrong with academies and free schools (even though these schools aren't). What has been said about the goings on at these schools makes me want to close those schools tomorrow BUT, but-but-BUT... it's no worse really than goes on at some Jewish and Catholic schools, and they aren't being put into special measures - far from it. Gove fucking praised Catholic schools to the rafters in an article published today. Invited them to become academies *because* it would give them more freedom to do things their way, change the curriculum etc. Just like these Islamic schools have been doing.

This isn't about educational values, ffs - this is cheap islamaphobia.

It's very cheap Islamophobia, and if Gove doesn't get (rightfully) kicked in the bollocks for this, he'll have bought support from the Tory backwoodsmen pretty cheaply in any takeover scheming he's got going.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Barely a week after UKIPs successes in whipping up anti foreigner feeling for their anti EU drive and suddenly the Tories are clamping down hard on wayward Muslim fanatics and flying the flag for British values everywhere. Coincidence?

I'm still not convinced that this isn't a shell game, and that our spooks might not be using this furore to gather data on potential assets.
After all, having access to the student rolls of that many schools, and the student records of that many young Muslims, even for a short while, it'd be a chance too good to pass up, for some of our scumbags.

 

[nino_savatte]

I just wonder how many Catholic schools have been investigated for teaching kids that homosexuality is wrong and the Sky Pixie created the world?

Sex Ed in a Catholic school... what is that like? "Don't do it. Don't think about it. If you do, you'll go to hell".

 

[DotCommunist]

unless your a priest then you can just fuck whover you like and nobody is allowed to talk about it

 

[butchersapron]

I just wonder how many Catholic schools have been investigated for teaching kids that homosexuality is wrong and the Sky Pixie created the world?

Sex Ed in a Catholic school... what is that like? "Don't do it. Don't think about it. If you do, you'll go to hell".

Well, mine was nothing like that at all. It was informed lessons on what happens, health aspects and debate about social aspects. The same as pretty much everywhere else. What sort of monsters do you think catholics are?

 

[nino_savatte]

Innit. "Satan entered this child and tempted me"!

 

[nino_savatte]

Well, mine was nothing like that at all. It was informed lessons on what happens, health aspects and debate about social aspects. What sort of monsters do you think catholics are?

Satire, butch, satire. That said, the Christian Brothers are particularly brutal.

 

[Dr Jon]

the Christian Brothers are particularly brutal.

OK if you drink a pint of water before bed.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

while I agree religion has no place in the running of a school, this is nonsense. and in fact the exact kind of emotive bullshit you complain about elsewhere in your post.

In what way is it nonsense. Why shouldn't I be emotive?

 

[killer b]

In what way is it nonsense. Why shouldn't I be emotive?

erm because you were chiding others for being emotive in the same post?